Central varsities told to explore possibility of having Sanskrit department: Government

New Delhi: Close on the heels of German being replaced with Sanskrit as third language in Kendriya Vidyalayas, the Government on Wednesday said all central universities have been asked to explore the possibilities of opening of Sanskrit department.

"In order to promote Sanskrit language, the Central Government has requested all central universities, where department of Sanskrit does not exist, to explore the possibilities of opening of Sanskrit departments," HRD Minister Smriti Irani told the Lok Sabha.

Irani said in a written reply to a question by Shivkumar Udasi of BJP on whether the government was emphasising upon establishment of centres for teaching and learning of Sanskrit, Chinese, Russian, Urdu and European languages by providing specific financial assistance.

The Minister said UGC was also providing plan and non-plan grants to five Sanskrit universities and two Sanskrit deemed-to-be-universities.

Irani's recent decision to replace German with Sanskrit as the third language in Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) has courted controversy, though she has insisted that German was being taught in violation of the National Policy of Education and the Three Language Formula.

The Supreme Court had, however, on November 28 asked the Centre to consider not replacing German language with Sanskrit in KVs in the middle of the ongoing academic session and implement the decision from next academic year.